Brattleboro Academic Center To Host Poetry Reading

Union Institute & University’s Brattleboro Academic Center will host a poetry reading with Chard DeNiord, Julia Crane, and Lesle Lewis on Saturday, March 17, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Brattleboro Academic Center located at 3 University Way. Union alumnus and affiliate professor of Liberal Studies, Ben Mitchell, will host the reading. The event is part of an “Experience Day” where prospective students can sit in on various faculty seminars to observe and experience being a student at Union. Optional information sessions on adult student concerns, financial aid, and the application process will also be offered throughout the afternoon

CHARD DENIORD is the author of four books of poetry, The Double Truth (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011), Night Mowing (The University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005), Sharp Golden Thorn (Marsh Hawk Press, 2003), and Asleep in the Fire (University of Alabama Press, 1990). His book of essays and interviews with seven senior American poets titled Sad Friends, Drowned Lovers, Stapled Songs, Conversations and Reflections on Twentieth Century American Poets was published in December 2011 by Marick Press. He is the cofounder of the New England College M.F.A. program in Poetry and an associate professor of English at Providence College. He lives in Putney, Vermont.

JULIA CRANE is an affiliate professor of Liberal Studies at Union Institute & University. Crane’s poems have appeared in Anthropaphogy, Blood Lotus, Boulevard, Diner, 5AM, Mad Poets Review, Paper Street, Winterhawk Press, and elsewhere. She holds an M.F.A. in Writing and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Her first book, Twisted Little Love Stories, is coming out from Finishing Line Press this spring.

LESLE LEWIS’ latest book lie down too, is the winner of the 2010 Beatrice Hawley Award. Her previous collections include Small Boat (winner of the 2002 Iowa Poetry Prize) and Landscapes I & II (winner of the Alice James Books New York/New England Prize). Lewis has also published poems in numerous journals including American Letters and Commentary, Northern New England Review, Green Mountains Review, Barrow Street, Sentence, The Massachusetts Review, The Cincinnati Review, Mississippi Review, Jubilat, and many others.

Lewis is a professor of English at Landmark College where she teaches composition, literature, and creative writing courses.

For more information about the poetry reading or UI&U's B.A. programs, contact the Brattleboro Center at 257-9411 or email brattleborocenter@myunion.edu.

UI&U Board Elects New Chair and Trustee

CINCINNATI – Union Institute & University (UI&U) today announced that Virginia Ruehlmann Wiltse, Ph.D., was elected chair of its board of trustees at its annual meeting on Friday, January 27, 2012. Trustees also approved Union’s new executive committee which includes Dr. Wiltse as chair; Cincinnati-based Don Feldmann, president and CEO of Rippe & Kingston Capital Advisors, Inc., as vice-president and treasurer; and Union President Roger H. Sublett, Ph.D. as secretary. Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D., author of Ethical Intelligence and host of Ask the Ethics Guy on Bloomberg Businessweek online, was elected to serve as a trustee, joining 13 others.

Wiltse, who succeeds Dr. Betty Overton Adkins, is co-founder and director of the Caring Response Madagascar Foundation (CRMF), the Cincinnati-based non-profit that creates and supports programs in education and healthcare for the poor in Madagascar. Wiltse and her son David Wiltse, launched CRMF in 2001. Among the multiple projects launched since its inception are the WomanWorks Initiative micro-lending project; adult literacy and native language books projects; and a creative arts initiative to teach sanitation and hygiene practices to the urban and rural poor. In November 2011, CRMF partnered with U.S. and Malagasy organizations for their largest project to date that provided specialized training, equipment and supplies to Malagasy physicians and midwives to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and handle pre-term and low-birth weight babies.

As the former development director for Seton High School, Wiltse played a pivotal role in a $13.5 million expansion and renovation project that features state-of-the-art science and technology facilities, an enhanced fine arts program, and a 1,000-seat gymnasium. She also previously served as foundations committee chairperson for the Seton capital campaign.

Wiltse has more than 20 years’ experience as a freelance writer, presenter, and multi-media producer. She began her earlier career in broadcast news working for WLWT, AM/FM, Cincinnati WTIC-TV, AM/FM, in Hartford, Connecticut WFSB-TV, Hartford, Connecticut.

Wiltse served for nine years as a trustee of the Sisters of Charity Ministry Foundation and was a member of the fundraising steering committee for the order’s Bayley Place Wellness Center for mature adults. Her numerous honors over the years include the Mother Seton Award for service to the Sisters of Charity and the Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for service to Seton High School. In 1984 the Cincinnati Enquirer honored Wiltse as a Woman of the Year for her achievements and community service.

Wiltse earned her Ph.D. from Union in 2000. In addition to her doctorate, she holds an M.A. and a B.A, both in history, from the University of Cincinnati.

Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D.

Union’s newest trustee is nationally recognized ethics consultant and author Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D. Weinstein currently hosts the series Ask the Ethics Guy on Bloomberg Businessweek online, where he also writes an ethics column. His clients include the National Football League, the National Guard (South Carolina Division), the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the National Business Aviation Association, Help Desk International, Vistakon/Johnson & Johnson, Pri-Med Continuing Medical Education, the Eastern Michigan University College of Business, and more than 300 other schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations.

Weinstein has appeared on NBC’s “The Today Show,” ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CNN’s, “Anderson Cooper 360,” CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” MSNBC’s “Live,” and many other national television programs.

Weinstein’s most recent book, Ethical Intelligence: Five Principles for Untangling Your Toughest Problems at Work and Beyond (New World Library, 2011), was recently listed as a top five business book on WashingtonPost.com and a top ten business book in WirtschaftsBlatt, Austria’s only business daily. Weinstein’s work has been published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Investor’s Business Daily, and Family Circle. He was profiled in the in-flight magazines of American Airlines, Delta Airlines, USAirways, and United Airlines. His previous book, Is It Still Cheating If I Don’t Get Caught? (Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press, 2009), shows tweens and teens how to solve many of the ethical dilemmas they face at school and with family and friends.

Weinstein received a B.A. in philosophy from Swarthmore College, a Ph.D. in philosophy and bioethics from Georgetown University, a certificate in film production from New York University, and is the recipient of a national fellowship from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. He maintains the website, TheEthicsGuy.com.

Lower Tuition Announced for M.Ed. Program

CINCINNATI – As part of its ongoing mission to offer socially relevant and transformational degree opportunities and make them more accessible, and in effort to reach more teachers seeking higher education, Union Institute & University (UI&U) today announced a substantial reduction in its tuition for the Master of Education program, a one-year, accredited, online degree program.

Effective for the April 30, 2012 start date, students enrolled in the M.Ed. online program will pay $399 per credit hour, a reduction of $158 from the original cost of $557 per credit hour. This 28 percent reduction allows M.Ed. students to save more than $5,600 in tuition costs throughout their time in the program.

“Union certainly understands the value of education and how great teachers can impact future generations,” said UI&U President Dr. Roger H. Sublett. “This lowered rate helps us to promote our goal to reach and support great teachers and school districts across the country with a more affordable M.Ed. program, and also to offer a program that encourages and prepares them to become great teachers and great leaders.”

Union’s M.Ed. curriculum embeds National Board core propositions, and has an in-depth focus on social responsibility and leadership. Its online delivery allows students to pursue their graduate degree while maintaining professional and personal responsibilities and follows a 16-week trimester calendar, divided into two eight-week sessions. Students may be eligible for transfer credits and, once graduated, are prepared to participate in the certification process offered through the National Board.

The university is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2012 trimester that begins April 30. For more information about UI&U’s M.Ed. online program contact Josefina Rosario, M.Ed. admissions counselor at 888-828-8575, ext. 2172, or josefina.rosario@myunion.edu.

Got Pie? Brattleboro Center Hosts Pie Palooza Feb. 23

BRATTLEBORO – Union & University’s (UI&U) Brattleboro Center will host their second annual pie making contest, Pie Palooza, from 5:30-7 p.m., February 23, at the River Garden in downtown Brattleboro. The event will feature free pie tastings and hot drinks, live acoustic music by local songwriter and singer Ernesto Sanchez, and games for the kiddies - compliments of the university and Vermont Country Deli.

Pies entered in the contest can be dropped off at the River Garden between 3 and 4:30 p.m. on the 23rd, or pick-up can be arranged by calling UI&U before 5 p.m. on the 22nd. Please arrive at 5:30 p.m. for tastings and introduction of our special judges, Carmen Derby from United Way, Tim Johnson from WTSA Radio and Greg Lesch from the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce.

The top pie winner, announced at 6p.m., will receive a $50 gift certificate to a Brattleboro business of their choice and the prestigious ‘Pie Palooza’ trophy. Additional prizes for the 2nd and 3rd place runner-ups will also be presented. The night will continue on with more tastings, music, and children’s games including musical chairs, twister, and a bean bag toss. Join us for this family-friendly event during winter carnival week – you won’t be disappointed! The event is free, but all donations will go to United Way.

For more information contact the Brattleboro Center at brattleborocenter@myunion.edu, or at 802-257-9411.

Alumna Re-Elected Prime Minister of Jamaica

CINCINNATI, OH –Union Institute & University alumna Portia Simpson Miller and leader of Jamaica’s People’s National Party (PNP) was re-elected prime minister after the PNP earned the majority vote in the country’s general elections December 29. Simpson Miller, the first female to lead Jamaica, earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Union’s Florida Academic Center in 1997 and expressed her gratitude for her alma mater in her January 5 inaugural address.

“As the newly elected prime minister, the Honorable Portia Simpson Miller brings a wealth of knowledge about public service, commitment to others, and intellect to the office that bodes well for Jamaica in future days. Union is proud to have the Prime Minister as a graduate, and we wish her and her administration well as she continues her impressive leadership journey.” said Union Institute & University President Dr. Roger H. Sublett. “She is one of the most dynamic political leaders I have met in many years; in watching her interact with the people of Jamaica, her love of Jamaica and its people is obvious to all.”




Three representatives from Union, including dean emeritus Dr. Marie Bogat, academic advisor Angela Byles, and former dean Dr. Michael Tredinnick, were invited to attend and represent Union at the prime minister’s inauguration. During the ceremony, Prime Minister Simpson Miller asked each of them to stand up to be acknowledged, and expressed her deep appreciation to her alma mater. “It was such a proud moment for Union,” said Byles. “Although she acknowledged several world dignitaries, Union was the only educational institution mentioned. It was a wonderful moment for Union to be recognized worldwide.” Later, at a reception, Byles was able to present Prime Minister Simpson Miller with a proclamation issued by President Sublett.

Affectionately known throughout Jamaica as “Sista P,” Simpson Miller has consistently advocated for the country’s struggling poor. In her victory speech Thursday night, she vowed to "unearth the greatness that lives in every single Jamaican," despite the country's huge debt burden - the catalyst for the early election that resulted in the ousting of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the ruling Jamaican Labor Party. According to Jamaican news station TVJ, the PNP won 41 seats in the Jamaican parliament and the labor party earned just 22 seats. The Miami Herald called the election a “landslide victory” for Simpson Miller and the People’s National Party.

The 66-year-old Simpson Miller was first elected Jamaican prime minister in 2006. During her year-and-a-half long tenure, she forged a reputation as a leader who championed for the needs of the underserved. Now back in office, she has promised to create jobs and help lift Jamaica out of its current financial crisis. “We are going to form a partnership with you, the Jamaican people. A partnership with the private sector, a partnership with the media, and a partnership with civil society,” she said in her victory speech Thursday.

In 2001, Union awarded Simpson Miller with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters at the Florida Academic Center’s commencement ceremonies, where she served as commencement speaker. Prior to serving as president of the PNP, she held numerous roles for the Jamaican government including minister of local government and sport, minister of labor, and minister of tourism and sports. She served as vice president of the PNP from 1978 to 2006.