NEW LONDON, Conn. – Lt. Ashley Crouch, aide to the superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy and Athens, Ga., native, received a Coast Guard Achievement Medal during a ceremony held at the Coast Guard Academy here Aug. 25.

The medal was presented to Crouch by Rear Adm. J. Scott Burhoe, superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy.

 The citation presented to Crouch states she received the medal for her superior performance of duty while assigned to the Professional Maritime Studies Department at the academy from July 2008 to July 2010. A nautical science instructor, Crouch’s professionalism and expertise directly contributed to the education of more than 600 cadets in navigation, relative motion and ship handling using visual simulation and training vessels.

“I loved teaching navigation for the last two years, and I’m also excited to begin my new job as aide,” said Crouch.

“Lt. Crouch consistently displayed remarkable passion for each cadet’s professional development providing well-balanced, personalized and extensive feedback for research papers, laboratory assignments and exams,” said Burhoe. “She also provided extra hours of instruction to cadets, requiring individual assistance both personally and professionally.”

As the Service Academy Exchange Program coordinator, Crouch managed the administrative and logistics functions for more than 50 cadets selected for the one-semester experience at sister service academies. Crouch reorganized the application and selection criteria, recommended candidates and planned inter-service events at neighboring military installations, and her efforts resulted in improvements in the program’s visibility, value and success, said Burhoe.

During the summer training program aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, Crouch qualified as officer of the deck, under power and sail, earning the commanding officer’s complete confidence, said Burhoe. While aboard, she served as a subject matter expert and directed instruction for more than 250 cadets in the application of fundamental navigation concepts.

Crouch, a 2001 graduate of Oconee County High School in Watkinsville, Ga., is the daughter of Jim and Donna Crouch of Athens.

For more information, contact the public affairs office at (860) 444-8270 or (860)-444-8272.

NEW LONDON, Conn. -  Dr. Faye J. Ringel was named professor emeritus today at the Coast Guard Academy during a ceremony at the Officer's Club here after more than 20 years of service.

The Professor Emeritus Award recognizes academic and professional faculty members who have made significant contributions to the academy with the recommendation of the Credentials Committee and the endorsement of the Dean of Academics. Honorees must have also been employed or stationed at the academy continuously for the last 15 years before retirement.

These professors will be frequently sought for their advice and counsel as well as maintain a professional affiliation with the institution. They may also participate in social functions, lecture series and large projects at the academy.

Ringel has taught more than 3,000 cadets during her career, many of whom who have gone on to distinguished careers in the Coast Guard.

“I cannot imagine a better place to teach, with idealistic, motivated cadets and entertaining, dedicated colleagues,” said Ringel. "Some of my colleagues were my former students," she said.

Ringel has brought great credit and distinction to the Coast Guard Academy by publishing dozens of scholarly articles and essays in published anthologies, as well as articles and book reviews in fifteen scholarly journals and encyclopedias.

In addition, Ringel is a respected pre-publication peer review editor and sits on the editorial board of two scholarly journals, the Gothic Studies and the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts.

Ringel has appeared on numerous radio and television programs as a subject matter expert on American gothic, medieval studies, Yiddish folklore, science fiction and fantasy. Her television appearances include programs produced by Connecticut Public Television, the Learning Channel and British Granada Television. Ringel has presented papers, moderated panels and conducted workshops at more than two dozen conferences around the world.

Ringel received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis in 1972 and her doctorate in comparative literature from Brown University in 1979.

Rigel was appointed as an assistant professor of English for the department of humanities in 1985. In 1995, she was appointed Full Professor of English.

During her time at the academy, Ringel has served as the advisor to Alpha Lamda Delta, the 4th Class Cadet Honor Society, participated in 24 faculty searches and is the Academy’s plagiarism policy author and subject-matter expert.

In 2006, Ringel was awarded the Coast Guard Academy Distinguished Faculty Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the academy by exemplifying the highest ideals of teaching.

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Coast Guard Rear Adm. J. Scott Burhoe (left) shakes hands with Capt. Michael A. Alfultis Friday, Aug. 20, 2010, during a retirement ceremony at the Coast Guard Academy here.   After serving more than 28 years in the Coast Guard, Alfultis received a Meritorious Service Medal for his contributions while stationed at the academy. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class NyxoLyno Cangemi.

NEW LONDON, Conn. - A marine science professor retired from the Coast Guard Academy today after more than 28 years of military service.

Capt. Michael A. Alfultis will continue sharing his expertise with young adults at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus.

Alfultis graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1982 with a degree in Marine Science. His first assignment was in Guam as operations officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Basswood. He attended the University of Washington and received his Master of Science degree in Oceanography. He served as operations section chief of the International Ice Patrol from 1987 through 1989.

Alfultis returned to the Academy in 1989 having been selected as a member of the permanent commissioned teaching staff. He later received his Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island in 1997. His dissertation was entitled Statistical Characterizations of North Atlantic Subtropical Mode Water.

Alfultis is one of the original architects of the Marine and Environmental Sciences major. Alfultis has taught marine science courses including Oceanography, Meteorology, Ocean Dynamics, Ocean Circulation and Remote Sensing, and developed a three-course Geospatial Sciences curriculum to educate cadets and officers to better serve Coast Guard mission needs using this emerging technology.

Alfultis has also supervised extensive cadet research serving Coast Guard Sectors, and various agencies of state, local and federal entities. He was a New England Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Self-Study Team leader from 1999 to 2000, the Director of Academic Advisors from 2000 to 2002, NEASC Fifth-year Interim Report project officer from 2001-2005, Marine Science section chief from 2002 to 2005, and head of the Department of Science from 2005 to 2009.

U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY, Conn. - Dr. Michael H. Schuster, Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, has been selected as Head of the Department of Management. Schuster, who teaches strategy, marketing, and coordinates the academy's capstone course in management consulting, will assume the role of Department Head on Aug. 9, 2010.

Prof. Schuster joined the Academy faculty in 2006 after teaching as a visiting professor in 2005, and has served as deputy Head of the Department of Management and President of the Faculty Senate. He has a substantial teaching and research record in strategy, organizational change and human resources including research on organizational effectiveness sponsored by the National Science Foundation and as a Senior Fulbright Fellow at theLondon School of Economics and Political Science. He also has an extensive consulting background in strategy formulation, organizational change, and human resource management. 

Schuster originally from Pawtucket, now lives in Narragansett, RI. He is a Professor Emeritus in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and succeeds Capt. Paul Szwed, who served as Department Head from 2005 to 2010. 

The Department of Management, established in 1970, delivers one of eight degree programs at the Coast Guard Academy. It is accredited by AACSB International, the premier accrediting body for schools of business. With 12 faculty and 137 students, it is the smallest undergraduate-only AACSB-accredited program in the world with a tradition of innovation in its approach to teaching, interdisciplinary research, and a reputation for being a thought leader in the area leader development and leadership assessment.

COAST GUARD ACADEMY, Conn. - The Office of the Dean has appointed Capt. Glenn M. Sulmasy as Chair of the Coast Guard Academy Humanities Department, effective July 12, 2010.

"I look forward to working with Capt. Sulmasy in continuing to move the Academy forward.  He is a master teacher, scholar and leader.  He takes over a department that has been expertly led by Capt. Anne Flammang and houses a faculty that is the envy of any college or university, anywhere," said Kurt J. Colella, Dean of Academics at the Coast Guard Academy.

Sulmasy is a judge advocate and an expert in national security law. He has been on the faculty of the U. S. Coast Guard Academy since July, 2001. He has also served on the faculty of the International Law Department at the U. S. Naval War College and has been an adjunct faculty member at the Roger Williams University School of Law since 1999. 

Sulmasy publishes and lectures widely on the law of armed conflict, international law and national security matters. Further, he is quoted in media outlets such as National Public Radio, The Associated Press, The New York Times and Voice of America-News Now, among others, on issues such as the Military Commissions Act, Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and other national security matters.  In the past year and half, Sulmasy has delivered addresses, conducted signings for his book, "The National Security Court System: A Natural Evolution of Justice in an Age of Terror," and served on panels at over 30 venues.

U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY, Conn. - Master Chief Petty Officer John F. Niece receives his doctorate during a Ph.D Degree and Hooding ceremony at the Academy June 23, 2010.

Niece completed his college program earning a doctor's degree of philosophy in business administration with a specialization in Homeland Security while serving as Command Master Chief for the Coast Guard Academy.

The hooding ceremony is a special recognition ceremony during which a Dean of the school places the doctoral hood over the head of the graduate, signifying his or her success in completing the graduate program.

Today's academic regalia has its origins in the clerical dress that medieval scholars used for warmth in unheated buildings.

Tradition dictates that doctoral gowns have bell-shaped sleeves, velvet trim down the front and three velvet strips across the sleeves. Head wear is also an important component of the cap-and-gown.

The headwear varies with the level of academic achievement. The black velevet tam is the traditional cap worn by the doctoral stutdents. The doctoral hood worn with the gown and tam was originally a head covering for bad weather. Later it was dropped to the shoulders in the form of a small cape. Eventually, the hood became a separate piece of apparel bearing even more symbolism than the gown. The hood's facing is colored velvet trimming denoting the wearer's discipline - in Niece's case - dark blue to signify a Doctor of Philosophy.

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Coast Guard Academy is scheduled to hold a Professor Emeritus ceremony honoring four faculty members Friday at 10 a.m. in the Officer’s Club.

This year professors Gregg W. Dixon, Michael E. McKaughan, Ernest J. Manfred and Howard C. Dunn Jr. will be given the title of Professor Emeritus.

The Professor Emeritus award recognizes academic and professional faculty members of the Coast Guard Academy who have made significant contributions to the Academy with the recommendation of the Credentials Committee and the endorsement of the Dean of Academics. Honorees must have also been employed or stationed at the Academy continuously for the last 15 years before retirement

Dixon joined the faculty of the Academy in 1993 and retired as the chief of the Mechanical Engineering section in 2004. In this capacity, he was instrumental in modernizing the Academy’s engineering programs by introducing computerized solution techniques and single-handedly developing a “Radiation Detection” course here. He also worked to increase the representation of women and minorities in engineering.

McKaughan served in the Electrical Engineering section at the Academy for 27 years and retired in 2009. His Numerical Electromagnetic Code modeling work with cadets has provided the Coast Guard a number of critical answers regarding antenna placement locations on a variety of ships. McKaughan was also routinely consulted for performance improvements of the Maritime and Nationwide Differential Global Positioning networks.

Manfred joined the faculty of the Academy in 1969 and dedicated 40 years of service in the Department of Mathematics. As department head, Manfred oversaw the change of the Mathematical and Computer Sciences major to the present Operations Research with Computer Analysis. Manfred’s 13 years as head of the department is the longest tenure of any mathematics department head in the Coast Guard Academy’s history.

Dunn joined the faculty of the Academy in 1978 and retired in 2008 as head of the Engineering Department. During his tenure at the Coast Guard Academy, he held positions of increasing responsibility including chief of the Civil Engineering Section, selected member of the American Society of Engineering Education Deans Council and Engineering Department head. Dunn was ASEE liaison to the American Society of Civil Engineering Committee on Curriculum and Accreditation which developed the nationally adopted Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., 2000 criteria for accreditation of civil engineering programs.

These professors will be frequently sought for their advice and counsel as well as maintaining a professional affiliation with the institution. They may also participate in social functions, lecture series and large projects at the Coast Guard Academy.

“Our four honorees represent more than 110 years of exemplary service to our Academy and our Coast Guard," said Kurt Colella, Coast Guard Academy Dean of Academics. "Their impact on the nation is very direct and take the form of the young women and men serving in uniform. The faculty and staff who have been honored to know them, and serve alongside them, stand on their shoulders moving forward."

Dr. Evelyn Ellis, the associate dean for Academic Support Services at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, was selected for this year’s American Council on Education Fellows Program.

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is one of the longest-running leadership development programs in the nation, preparing senior leaders to address issues of concern at institutions of higher learning. The program condenses years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single semester or year.

Ellis was among 46 college and university senior faculty and administrators, and the only one from Connecticut selected for the program nationwide. Speaking of her selection Ellis said, “It has been a lifelong dream of mine to be able to serve as a senior executive at a college or university. I have no doubt that I will grow as a result.” Ellis earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education, a Master’s degree in education at the University of Texas at El Paso, completed a Doctorate of Education at the University of Southern California, and holds a second Master’s degree from Drury University in Springfield, Mo.

During their placement, fellows observe and work with a college or university president and other senior officers at a host institution, attend decision-making meetings and focus on issues affecting higher education. Projects have included implementing a post-tenure review process, developing a teaching-learning center and recruitment and retention of faculty of color. Ellis is currently reviewing a number of possible host institutions in the Northeast.

To date, more than 300 program graduates have gone on to serve as chief executive officers of various colleges and universities across the country. “I am most appreciative that the Academy is investing in its future by choosing to invest in me,” Ellis said. “I look forward to delivering a great return on their investment.” 

At the Academy she is responsible for administrative oversight of the institution’s Honors Program, Hewitt Writing and Reading Center, Academic Advising Services and a host of other faculty and student development initiatives. “As the daughter of parents who were brought up during a time when educational access was not afforded to everyone in America, and the first one in my immediate family to graduate from college, I am thrilled,” she added.

COAST GUARD ACADEMY, Conn. – The United Stated Coast Guard Academy has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.  Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving  global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. 

Only 579 schools of business, or less than 5% worldwide, have earned this distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education.  To maintain accreditation, a business program must undergo a rigorous internal review every five years, at which the program must demonstrate its continued commitment to the 21 quality standards relating to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, as well as a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.  (For information on the global distribution of accredited programs, click on: http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/accreditedmembers.asp)

“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, chief accreditation officer of AACSB International.  “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty, and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure continued delivery of high-quality education to students.” 

The Coast Guard Academy is currently the smallest undergraduate program world-wide to be accredited by the AACSB. “We are very excited to once again be accredited by the AACSB. It could not have happened without the hard work and dedication of our faculty. I also want to thank the Dean and our students for their support in this effort,” said Captain Paul Szwed, the Academy’s Management Department Head.

The United States Coast Guard’s achievement will be recognized in April at the 2010 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. 

To learn more about the United States Coast Guard Academy visit www.uscga.edu.  Or to learn more about AACSB International accreditation, visit the accreditation section of the AACSB International Web site at: http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/.