Celebrating the Retirement of Prof. Sherri Olson
By Stefanie Malinoski
After a 37-year tenure at the University of Connecticut, Professor Sherri Olson retired in January, closing a distinguished chapter in the Department of History. For more than twenty years, Dr.Olson served as the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for European History, shaping curricula, mentoring colleagues, and inspiring educators and students.
In 1998, she helped launch the first Medieval Studies outreach seminar for middle and high school teachers, “Late Medieval Europe & the Black Death.” Offered by UConn’s Medieval Studies Program in partnership with the Center for Professional Development, the program was originally known as the Medieval Studies Secondary School Outreach Seminar.
The seminar’s first formal collaboration with ECE, then called the High School Cooperative Program, followed in 2004 with “War, Peace, and Toleration in the Ancient and Medieval World.” The first official mention of Early College Experience appeared in 2006, with the seminar focused on “The Poor & the Idea of Poverty in Ancient & Medieval Society,” marking the beginning of an over 20 year partnership. Over the years, UConn’s Collegium Musicum, under the direction of Professor Eric Rice, added a musical component to the seminars. This ensemble of student singers and instrumentalists perform music from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance and Baroque periods, often using period-specific instruments.
In her role as ECE Faculty Coordinator for Medieval History, Dr. Olson provided a wide range of seminar themes in collaboration with colleagues at UConn, and her former graduate students now serving as faculty members at colleges and universities across the country. Her former students were always eager to return to UConn to share their research with Connecticut educators. The program has run almost every year since 1998, each time offering educators a fresh and engaging theme, and we look forward to continuing the program under new leadership.
Now embracing a slower pace, Dr. Olson plans to return to some of her hobbies, including knitting, and continuing to contribute to the field through book reviews and other scholarly pursuits.
r Todd, Office of Early College Programs Executive Director, and Carissa Rutkauskas, UConn ECE Outreach and Evaluation Specialist, who also participated in the pre-conference affiliated chapters meeting asNEACEP secretary alongside colleagues from Maine and Rhode Island to share best practices and strengthen regional connections. Throughout the conference, Carissa attended sessions on AI-supported advising and instruction, redefining student success, evaluating credit transferability, strengthening counselor and coordinator support, and understanding the first year experience of students entering college with dual enrollment credit—gathering insights on responsible AI use, emotional intelligence development, equity-minded program design, and collaborative K–12/postsecondary strategies. In April 2025, Chris accepted an appointment as the Member-At-Large representative on the NACEP Accreditation Commission and was excited to meet in-person with fellow commissioners for the first time. Chris participated in several Accreditation Commission meetings and served as a representative on best-practices panels throughout the conference. As NACEP celebrated 20 years, it was inspirational to see UConn’s role in the inception and growth of NACEP over the years, as the program continues to serve on the national stage as a leading example of best practices.
22, 2025, in Mystic, CT, under the theme “Lighting the Way for Student Success.” Representing the Office of Early College Programs, Christopher Todd (OECP Executive Director), Bobbi-Jo Wathan (UConn Pre-College Summer Director), Carissa Rutkauskas (ECE Outreach & Evaluation Specialist), and Erin Blanchette (OECP Billing & Operations Specialist) engaged with attendees, including board of education members, superintendents, educators, and administrators, to share OECP opportunities and strengthen statewide partnerships. OECP is in their 4th year of partnering with CABE/CAPSS. A highlight of the event was the Friday morning keynote by Dr. Miguel Cardona, 
12th U.S. Secretary of Education, whose deep Connecticut roots—from his early career as a Meriden teacher and principal to serving as Connecticut’s Education Commissioner and as a proud UConn graduate—resonated strongly with the convention’s focus on advancing student success across the state.
educate not only her own students at Trumbull High School but classrooms across the state. Constitution Day—recognized nationally each September 17 to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787—has become a signature event for Boland’s AP/UConn American Government classes, who celebrate the day by creating schoolwide educational activities and promoting #ConstitutionDay2025. Renowned for her passionate and award-winning approach to civics education, Boland leads Trumbull’s acclaimed “We the People” team, guiding students to multiple state and national honors through simulated constitutional hearings, while her creative teaching methods including her well-known George Washington persona—bring historical concepts to life. A recipient of the American Lawyers Alliance Teacher of the Year award, Boland exemplifies the impact of exceptional UConn ECE instructors by cultivating informed, engaged future citizens through both classroom innovation and her expanding digital constitutional-education outreach.
community. We’re proud to have Morty serving as a UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Natural Resources & the Environment, where he helps ensure the integrity of UConn courses offered in partner high schools and supports the professional development of UConn ECE Instructors. Read the entire article in the 
celebratory items: each partner instructor, site representative, principal, and superintendent received a commemorative UConn ECE 70th Anniversary Challenge Coin, featuring our 70-year milestone on one side and an “Established in 1955” emblem on the other recognizing UConn as the nation’s oldest concurrent enrollment program. Included with the coin was a message of gratitude reflecting the spirit of our 70th year: that the program’s longevity and impact are made possible by the dedication of ECE instructors, counselors, administrators, and university faculty who, since 1955, have worked together to expand access and preparation for post-secondary success.
her Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies from Eastern Connecticut State University. She brings experience in higher education, with afocus on academic advising, student development, and college and career readiness. In addition to her advising roles, she also teaches courses in Public Speaking and College and Career Success, further reinforcing her commitment to early college awareness, access, and student empowerment. Jessica is dedicated to creating inclusive, supportive environments that encourage exploration, growth, and readiness for life beyond high school.
Fast forward a decade and a half later, I live in the U.S. Year 2016 brings chatter of not one, but two Great American Eclipses heading our way: 2017 and 2024. And now the knowledge that solar eclipses are not very rare, but totality is happening over populated areas. In 2017 I would have only seen a partial solar eclipse, but now a new idea: I could travel to see totality. And that’s how I became an eclipse chaser. Like sunsets, no two eclipses are identical. I’ve seen three and plan to see more.
