CCSU appoints former state representative Edwin Vargas as next O’Neill Chair
CCSUNews
CCSU
news release
CCSU names former state representative Edwin Vargas as next O’Neill Chair
CONTACT: Marisa Nadolny, CCSU Office of Communications: m.na...@ccsu.edu, 860-832-1798
For immediate release – Feb. 16, 2023
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Former State Representative Edwin Vargas Jr. of Hartford will serve as the next Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair in Public Policy and Practical Politics at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU).
Vargas’s appointment follows a national search by the University, and he will begin his tenure at CCSU on Friday, Feb. 24. He will succeed former State Senator and State Commissioner Donald J. DeFronzo, who held the O'Neill Chair from 2016 to 2022.
The endowed chair was established in 2000 by Connecticut’s Board of Governors for Higher Education and the Connecticut State University Board of Trustees to honor the late Governor William A. O'Neill. The chair is housed in the Center for Community Engagement and Social Research (CCESR), which has been designated as a Connecticut Higher Education Center of Excellence.
“As the O’Neill chair, Mr. Vargas’s charge is to promote a nonpartisan view of the history, structure, people, and policies of Connecticut government for students and the larger community,” CCSU President Zulma R. Toro said. “We are delighted to welcome him to the Central family. His experience as an educator and long history of community and public service will certainly result in meaningful collaborations with our faculty and community leaders, as well providing educational opportunities for our students.”
Vargas’s responsibilities will include teaching; organizing and participating in public lectures and campus forums that address issues of public policy and practical politics; facilitating University collaborations with state governmental leadership on policy initiatives; supporting CCESR outreach and programming; and mentoring students, especially those pursuing a public service career path.
Vargas’s career in public service spans more than 45 years. From 1972 to 2007, he worked in the Hartford Public Schools system, for which he taught American History at the high school level; supervised the Mathematics Lab; and served as lead teacher at the North End Adult School, which included teaching English to immigrant students.
During and after his years as an educator, Vargas served in several leadership roles in support of his fellow teachers, including president, chief negotiator, and grievance chair for the Hartford Federation of Teachers; executive vice president of the American Federation of Teachers Connecticut; and president of the Greater Hartford Labor Council for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
Vargas was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 2012 and served the Sixth House District for five terms. He was appointed deputy speaker of the state House in 2020.
Throughout his career, Vargas has highlighted his Puerto Rican roots and has held various state and national leadership positions that emphasize his commitment to the Latino community. Among other roles, he has been president of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights, Public Policy Chair of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, and board vice chair of the Center for Latino Progress (formerly the Connecticut Puerto Rican Forum).
He also has served on many state and local boards and commissions, including the Hartford Hospital Corporation, Connecticut United Way of the Capitol Region, and the Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission, among others.
Mr. Vargas holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Hartford.
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CCSUNews
CCSU
news release
CCSU celebrates Title IX anniversary by honoring 10 ‘Trailblazers’
For immediate release – March 3, 2023
Photo available upon request
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) community hosted a celebration on March 2 to honor 10 women as Title IX Trailblazers. The university selected the honorees based on recommendations from the President’s Commission on Equity, Justice, and Inclusion; the Office of the President; the Department of Athletics; the Office of Equity and Inclusion; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; The Ruth Boyea Women’s Center; and the Committee on the Concerns of Women.
The Title IX Trailblazers were announced and recognized during the March 2 women’s home basketball game at Detrick Gymnasium. A pregame reception will be held for the recipients and their families.
“Title IX changed the trajectory of women in sport and beyond,” CCSU President Zulma R. Toro stated. “I am honored to recognize these Title IX Trailblazers who have come from varied backgrounds and across a half-century of CCSU history."
The honorees include two women from each of the past five decades with ties to CCSU who have made outstanding contributions to positively impact the lives of people in their communities in one or more of the following areas: Social justice, activism, and advocacy; community service and community building; scholarly research, writing, speaking, and teaching; education; business; social services; and government. Each of the women listed below is either an alumna of CCSU; a present or former faculty member; or a present or former staff member of the University. Several of the honorees are former student-athletes for the Blue Devils.
CCSU’S TITLE IX Trailblazers are:
1970s - Justice Carmen Espinosa (1971), Dr. Jannette Carey (1977)
1980s – Awilda Saavedra Reasco (1984), Kathy Pirog (1981)
1990s – Jacqueline Cobbina-Boivin (1991), Amy Strickland (1997)
2000s – Kristin Schelle (2006), Dr. Katelyn Ferranti (2008, 2010)
2010s – Sherise Truman (2017), Marissa Gauvin (2016)
Learn more about CCSU’s role in Title IX enactment over the last 50 years here.